I've gotten a lot of questions about my custom motion control system I built for stop motion animation, from the LEGO community and beyond. So I decided to put together a video to share what it is and how it came about.
The cat's out of the bag. The "super secret" project we've been working on at BrickNerd Studios is finally in the wild and we can share. You may have seen some behind the scenes teases through the months, but we've kept what we were working on under wraps. Credit for the structure goes to the LEGO enfield model shop. The animation was done by James Morr and turned out spectacular. I did the cinematography, editing and compositing, as well as built all the equipment. Check out the finished spot.
This project required multiple custom built motion control rigs, which kept me busy for weeks. I scratch built an Arduino based motion control unit, a follow focus, giant turntable and dolly track system. The camera rig is a Ditogear slider mounted vertically, with a custom built counterweight system and a Stage-R pan/tilt head. Here's a behind the scenes peek at just a fraction of the work that went into this project.
You know what makes really cool camera moves happen in stop motion animation? Motion control, that's what. I've launched a gofundme campaign to get one of these little beauties at BrickNerd Studios. Click through to help.
This MOC by Grantmasters gives me a happy. It depicts the visual effects crew of Aliens doing a motion control shot of the Sulaco. So it's pretty much my one of my favorite movies, one of my favorite ships and one of my favorite aspects of visual effects built out of my favorite toy. So much WIN!
Take a seat as we explore clever LEGO chair techniques that will leave you sitting pretty. From boat studs to bucket handles, here are some simple ways to design your own stylish chairs.
Identifying individual LEGO parts from bulk second-hand purchases can be challenging, so what are the most common elements that people want to know, “What is this!?”
The same bricks have sailed under many names in Alexander Zarkowski’s LEGO shipyard. We talk cruise ships, building at scale and how it feels to take apart a massive build after only a few weeks.
Which country has the cheapest LEGO? We’ve crunched the numbers across 22 countries spanning Europe, North America, and Australia and found a surprising result…
LEGO Castle has featured quite a few factions like the Wolfpack and Fright Knights. But what would kids name them after only seeing their shields? Make way for the Mean Rocktopusses!
Brian Hickey is back with another installment of LEGO According To Kids. This time he asks his to young children about their thoughts on LEGO color names. Read on to find the interesting and comical results!
AFOLs have a language all their own, giving LEGO parts a variety of interesting nicknames and acronyms. But what do kids think of these part names? Well, we asked and they did not hold back…
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Ahoy, me hearties! It be Talk Like A Pirate Day! Are you ready to set sail on an adventure through the history of classic LEGO Pirates? Where did it begin, what was it all about, and where has the theme showed up since? Join us on a treasure hunt through history!